Upholstery retainer strip



March 20, 1951 M. c. WEAVER ET AL UPHOLSTERY RETAINER STRIP Filed Jan12, 1946 IN V EN TORS. flaxwe/Z 6'. Mal/er By fian D. Leorzarcl IPatented Mar. 20, 1951 ATENT OFFlCE 2,546,050 UPHOLSTERY RETAINER STRIPMaxwell 0. Weaver, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Frank D. Leonard, Detroit,Mich, assignors to The Randall Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporationof Ohio Application January 12, 1946, Serial No. 640,708

This invention relates to an upholstery retainer strip of a type to bemounted upon any surface or frame to be covered with sheet material.

An object of the invention is to provide an upholstery retainer stripdesigned for rapid and inexpensive production.

Another object is to provide a retainer strip which will facilitate andexpedite the application of sheet material as a cover for a frame orother support.

Another object is to provide an upholstery retainer strip which may beflexed accurately and uniformly in correspondency with any curvaturespeculiar to the frame or support to be covered or upholstered.

Another object is to provide a novel combination of retainer strip andtubular frame, whereby covering material may be applied and secured inplace with maximum ease and precision.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by means described hereinand illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of a frame having the upholstery strip of theinvention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.I

Fig. 4 is a fragmental perspective view showin a section of framematerial with the retainer applied thereto.

' In the application of upholstery or sheet covering material to a frameor support, it is desirable that a neat and substantial connection bemade between the upholstery material and the frame, without theemployment of highlyskilled labor and tools of special design. Anupholstery retainer strip, in order to perform-proper service, shouldnot only hold the material in place, but should also preclude thepossibility of tearing of the material away from its anchorage.Important also is the provision of means to prevent clothing or otherextraneous objects from catching upon or within the" parts of theretainer strip while in service. In addition to the foregoing, it isnecessary that the retainer strip be inexpensive as well as serviceable,and easily accessible for the rapid application of covering orupholstery materials. The instant retainer strip meets all of therequirements of a satisfactory article for the purposes mentioned, andmay be seen to incorporate various other advantages of merit overprevious articles in the category thereof.

'Referring to the accompanying drawing, the

8 Claims. (01. 155-180) reference character 6 indicates a frame orsupport, which for example may be tubular in form, providing afoundation for the upholstery retainer strip. In. the example shown, theframe or support is substantially rectangular in shape, however, it isto be understood that it may assume shapes other than that shown. Forpurposes of illustration, the frame 0 may be considered a seat frameover which is to be applied a sheet of fabric or other upholsterymaterial I. The springs and padding usually resting upon the frame andcovered by the sheet material 1, have been omitted from the drawing inthe interests of clarity and simplicity of disclosure. The upholsteryretainer strip is most clearly illustrated by Fig. 4, wherein it will beseen to comprise one or more anchor plates 8, an integral bead l0 and aseries of spaced triangular prongs 9. The bead 10 may encircleareinforcing rod or wire I2' extending lengthwise thereof along the fulllength of the bead. The reinforcing member I2, although indicated asbeing circular in cross-section, may be of any other shape, for examplesquare, oval, or of any multi-sided configuration, and is preferably soshaped that it will bend or flex with substantially equal facility inany direction. The bead will usually conform with the cross-sectionalshape of the reinforcing member, and will firmly embrace it to precludeaccidental displacement during handling and usage.

As previously stated, the anchor plate 8 is integral with the bead H],as is also a narrow fin l3 which extends from the bead laterally in thesame general direction as the anchor plate. The fin extends continuouslythrough the anchor plate as shown in Fig. 4, and through such otheranchor plates as may be furnished at more or less regular intervalsalong the length of the bead, and the base of each prong 9 is providedby said fin. In the preferred construction of the retainer strip,several prongs will be located between adjacent anchor plates, and thenumberof anchor plates provided will depend upon the seen that theanchor plate 8 is-welded or otherwise fixedly secured along the lowerarea of the frame member, so as to dispose the bead Id at an elevationwell beneath a horizontal line passing through the center of the framemember. This disposition of the retainer strip upon the frame memberplaces the bead approximately on a vertical line tangent to a side ofthe frame, with the prong 9 projecting downwardly and inwardly relativeto the frame member. Accordingly, when a sheet of covering material suchas I is brought downwardly along the face of the frame and turnedunderneath about the bead 10, it will assume a proper position to beimpaled upon the prong 9, thereby precluding upward displacement of thesheet or fabric piece 1. Once the sheet or upholstery fabric has beenimpaled upon the series of prongs, the prongs may be bent upwardly untiltheir points l4 substantially contact the frame 5 at the approximatelocation E5. The upholstery material or sheeting will then be securelyheld against detachment from the frame. Although it is not necessary toso bend the prongs toward the frame, it is preferable that the prongs beof suiiicient length to render possible such bending thereof for thepurpose 7 related. When the prongs are so bent for locking the fabric inplace, they will lie substantially in a plane which is parallel to theplane of the open frame or support 6. It may here be noted that bead it}forms a smooth and continuous ledge or abutment against which the fabricor other sheet material may rest, thereby minimizing wear and precludingtearing in the region of the prongs. As the fin l3 spans the spacebetween adjacent prongs, so that the bases of the prongs do not meet oneanother, there can be no severance of the fabric or sheet material alonga continuous line where penetrated by the prongs, it being understoodthat the edge of the fin will not cut the covering material.

Although as shown in Fig. l, one of the prongs 9 is formed from metalthat has been punched from the anchor plate where the aperture Itappears, it may in some cases be desirable to leave the anchor platesolid, and in that event prongs will be provided at opposite ends of theanchor plate, in close proximity therewith. The anchor plate preferablyis curved to conform with the shape of the support or frame 6, when atubular frame or support provides the foundation for the upholsteredstructure. The series of anchor plates may be fixed with relation to theframe or support, utilizing a common fastening means such as welds,rivets, screws or the like.

The device of the invention may be fabricated at low cost and with theuse of simple machinery on a rapid production basis, using common metalin strip form. Although by way of example the retainer is shown appliedto a frame or support which is tubular in form, it should be under stoodas applicable also to frames or supports which are flat, angular, or ofother shape, whether used as seat structures or not. The invention willbe found especially useful, however, in upholstering the bases and backsof vehicle seats, theater seats, and the like, but its use is not to belimited thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. As a new combination, an elongated support having a wall, anupholstery retainer in the form of a one-piece longitudinal strip havinga bead along an edge thereof, the margin of said edge being inside thebead, a series of coplanar prongs inte ral with and extending ra ly fromthe opposite edge thereof, said prongs each having a base close to thehead and a pointed end remote therefrom, and mounting means in the formof a plate attached to the support for disposing the bead and the prongbases at a fixed distance from the wall of the support, said distancebeing gauged to the length of the prongs whereby upon bending the prongsat their bases, the points thereof will reach the wall of the support.

2. As a new combination, an elongated support having a wall, anupholstery retainer in the form of a one-piece longitudinal strip havinga bead along an edge thereof, the margin of said edge being inside thebead, a series of coplanar prongs integral with and extending laterallyfrom the opposite edge thereof, said prongs each having a base close tothe bead and a pointed end remote therefrom, and mounting means in theform of a plate attached to the support for disposing the bead and theprong bases at a fixed distance from the wall of the support, with thebead extending lengthwise of the support at one elevation, and the prongpoints extending downwardly from the bead at a lower elevation, thedistance from the bead to the support, wall being limited to ensurecontact of the points with said wall when the prongs are bent and turnedtoward the latter.

3. A structure of the class described, comprising in combination, atubular frame having an outer side portion and a bottom portion, anupholstery retainer in the form of an elongated metal strip having abead along an edge thereof, and a series of spaced anchorage platesfixed to the bottom portion of the tubular frame for supporting the beadat a distance forwardly of the outer side portion of the frame, and inspaced relation thereto at an elevation approximating that of the framebottom portion, a series of coplanar prongs extending laterally from theopposite edge of said retainer and in a direction obliquely downwardlyand away from the bead and the side wall portion of the tubular frame,said prongs having points underlying the frame, the prongs being of alength sufiicient to dispose the points thereof in contact with thebottom portion of the tubular frame upon bending of the prongs in thegeneral direction of the anchorage plates.

4. A structure of the class described, comprising in combination, atubular frame having an outer side portion and a bottom portion, anupholstery retainer in the form of an elongated metal strip having abead along an edge thereof, and a series of spaced anchorage platesfixed to the bottom portion of the tubular frame for supporting the beadat a distance forwardly of the outer side portion of the frame, and inspaced relation thereto at an elevation approximating that of the framebottom portion, a series of coplanar prongs extending laterally from theop posite edge of said retainer in a direction obliquely downwardly andaway from the bead and the side wall portion of the tubular frame, and areinforcing member in the bead, said member being flexible and of across-sectional shape such as to permit bending of the bead withsubstantially equal facility in all directions in following provide aseries of spaced triangular prongs and spaced mounting plates, pointedends on said prongs projecting in a direction away from the bead, andbases for the prongs disposed in close proximity to the straight edge ofthe strip forming the bead.

6. An upholstery retainer in the form of a onepiece flexible metal striphaving a single straight edge rolled to form a coextensive bead ofuniform diameter, with the marging of the edge terminating in the bead,and a second irregular edge, the latter being cut away at intervals andformed to provide a series of spaced triangular prongs and spacedmounting plates, pointed ends on said prongs projecting in a directionaway from the bead, and bases for the prongs disposed in close proximityto the straight edge of the strip forming the bead, the mounting platesbeing in a plane disposed at an acute angle to a plane which is commonto the prongs.

'7. In combination, a tubular frame having inner and outer side portionsand a bottom portion, and an upholstery retainer in the form of aonepiece elongated metal strip having a straight edge and an irregularedge, the straight edge being rolled to form a bead with the straightedge in the bead, the irregular edge having a series of spacedtriangular prongs and spaced mounting plates, pointed ends of saidprongs projecting from the irregular edge, said mounting plates 3 beingfixed to the bottom portion of the tubular frame and supporting the beadand prongs, the prongs underlying the tubular frame and extending towardthe inner side thereof, whereby when upholstery material is fixed to theprongs and is said frame, each prong being of such length that thepoints can engage the bottom portion of the frame when bent in thedirection of the frame,

said mounting plates being fixed to the bottom portion of the tubularframe and supporting the bead in spaced relation thereto at an elevationapproximating that of the frame bottom portion.

MAXWELL C. WEAVER.

FRANK D. LEONARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 424,588 Woodmansee et a1. Apr. 1,1890 999,207 Clark Aug. 1, 1911 2,076,619 Cord-nan Apr. 13, 19372,260,908 'Johnson Oct. 28, 1941

